Kagome
by pokemypocky
Summary: It's been three years, and Kagome has grown up a little more. Her feelings haven't changed, but she has calmed down a little bit when it comes to her hopeless love interest. She's pretty content... until you-know-who shows up at her door.


_**I do not own "Inuyasha" or any of the characters in this story.**_

**"Kagome"**

I have lived a pretty amazing life… right? I mean, how many girls do you know have gone back and forth from modern times to the Feudal Era on a regular basis? I lived out a feudal fairy tale. I helped defeat Naraku -- FINALLY! I thought he would never die -- I helped to keep the future safe. I even fell in love.

But unlike most fairy tales, I didn't get my prince charming at the end of the story. It doesn't matter, he never would have loved me anyway. And there was really no point in me sticking around after that, right? I stuck around for Miroku's and Sango's wedding, and for when they adopted Shippo. That was it. And I was gone.

I thought I would be heartbroken. But I really… don't care.

Every day, I look in the mirror and can't believe just how much I've changed. I never wear my school uniform anymore. I wear more casual cloths since I started college. Today, I'm wearing a long sleeved light blue shirt with a pair of genes and white socks. It's Saturday, and I'm feeling lazy, so I didn't put much effort into my wardrobe. I had developed a little bit more when it came to my figure, and I always wore a little shiny lip gloss here and there. I had grown a little bit taller, and I was living at my college campus.

I didn't have a boyfriend yet, though.

For the first time in a long time, I feel normal. But I don't care. I left behind my first real love, who never really loved me. But I don't care. Is it so wrong of me not to care?

Tonight, I'm sitting at my desk, writing out another pointless letter to my mom. I was repeating everything I had done the week before. College life wasn't as eventful as I'd hoped.

There's a knock at my door.

"Coming," I answer as I get up from my desk chair. I go over to answer the door, and for a moment, I just stand there, staring back at him. It had been so long since I'd seen him, and he was still wearing his red kimono, with that ridiculous baseball hat that I always thought made him look so cute.

One thing had changed though: his hair was black, not silver, like the warrior he truly was.

He stared at me, speechless. He was a little wide eyed, and his fists were balled at his sides. "Kagome…" he finally said.

Three years ago, I probably would have jumped up and down with excitement, not really knowing what to say. But now, things were different. I'm not over him, but I'm not sure if I still love him. I smile as I lean against the open door frame. "Hey."

He makes an angry face. "Hey?" he repeats. He storms past me and into the room. I close the door.

"You just disappear for three years and all I get if a 'hey'?"

"Oh, right…" I make one of those desperate faces I used to make when I was younger, and raise my voice a little bit, to the way it used to sound. "It's been so long! I've missed you so!" I raise an eyebrow. "Right?" I say in my regular voice.

His examines me up and down.

"What?" I ask.

He smirks as he sits down in the chair I was sitting in before he arrived. "You've changed Kagome. You've become more… more… what's the word I'm looking for?"

I laugh. "Just say it. Every other boy in this school has. You think I'm hot."

He closes his eyes and smiles. "Yeah… You're hot."

"Thanks." I sit down on the bed. As the conversation begins to play out, I had to laugh. We had to deal with so much before, that we never really spoke like friends, until now. "So, what brings you here?"

"I missed you."

"How come? -- Wait, don't answer that."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Because I already know what you're going to say. You're gonna tell me how the time apart has made you realize that you love me and could never live without me, and that you've chosen me over Kikyo." Now, _thats_ a name I'll _never_ forget. "By the way, how is she?"

He looks away for a moment. "Fine. She married my stupid brother."

"Sesshomaru? You're kidding!"

"They're a good match."

"I thought for sure he was gonna marry Kagura, or something."

"He never liked her."

"What about Rin and Jakin?"

They adopted Rin, and Jakin still tags along with them."

"How does all of this make you feel?"

"Pretty stupid."

"How so?"

He looks at me. "Because I was chasing after something that was already within my reach, just in a different from."

Now, I look away. "You can't lie to me and say that you never loved Kikyo."

"You're right. I can't. But it's possible for someone to fall out of love and back into it."

I laugh.

"What?"

"It's just that I can't imagine you saying 'I love you' to anyone."

He laughs too. "Good point." He sits next to be on the bed. "What should I say then?"

I have thought about this for three years, what it would be like if he actually told me that he loved me. And I've decided that it would be… weird. "You don't have to say anything," I reply. "You wouldn't be comfortable with it."

He smiles. "You really do know me better than I thought you did." He gently places his hand under my chin and directs my gaze back to his eyes. "How about this then? Will you come back with me? Everyone misses you."

"I'm sure they do… One question though: why is your hair black?"

"Because I gave up being a warrior once the jewel was back together."

"What for?"

"For you."

"Why?"

"You just guessed why five minutes ago," he replied, a little annoyed that I seemed so stupid.

I notice that he's still wearing that necklace. Whenever I said those two words, he would be forced to fall to the ground, making a big hole in it. I point. "You still have this?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you take it off?"

"Because…" he takes my hand, and places it against his cheek. "I was waiting for the day when you would come back. And if I ever fell down abruptly, I'd know you were close by."

I smirk. "How… nice."

He laughs. "I know, it's stupid." He sniffs the air. "What's that smell?"

"What does it smell like?"

"… It smells… sweet…" He leans in closer to my neck. "It's you…"

"Oh, my perfume. Yeah."

He looks up at me, this time, with longing in his eyes. "Kagome, I've missed you." He reaches his arm around me and pulls me closer to his side.

I sigh as I wrap my around his neck. "I know."

"Have you missed me?" he asks.

I shrug. "Well, I can't say that I never thought about you." I can't help it by this time, but I don't overdo it. I lean in and give him a gentle kiss on the cheek that lasts about five seconds. Then, I rest my head on his shoulder.

He sighs. "Wow, Kagome. You really have changed."

I smiled. "I remember I used to get really upset because I couldn't have you. And now… It's funny. I'm not extremely happy. I'm just calm."

"You were young… How old are you now?"

"Eighteen."

"I can tell," he whispers… and then yawns.

"Are you tired?"

"Yeah."

"How long was your trip here?"

"A few hours."

"You should sleep. We'll go home tomorrow."

He looks at me hopefully, a smile on his face. "Really?"

I look at him and nod. "Really." I stand up from the bed and stretch out. "Well, I better get the couch ready."

"For me?"

"No, me. You've had a long trip, you can take the bed."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." As I head over to the closet to get some extra sheets…

"Kagome," he says. "I love you."

In that one moment, all of my old instincts come flooding back to me. I was fifteen again, and so much in love. I turn around, not really knowing what to say. I just stare at him… and I feel the tears well up.

He stands up, concerned. "Kagome, don't cry."

I smile, which surprises him. As I dry my eyes I say, "Sit boy."

He falls back on the bed, with a loud THUD! He groans. "Man, Kagome! What did I do? Why are you acting so stupid?" As he sits back up, we rethink the moment that just passed, and we both laugh.

"What just happened?" I ask.

He shrugged. "It was just like old times."

I sigh. "You really did love me, didn't you?"

He nods. "From day one. Calling you stupid was just a substitute for the 'I love you' part."

After I compose myself, I think over my next move. I end up walking over to him, leaning in with my hand on his cheek, and kissing him on the lips. He seems to like it, as he closes his eyes and places his own hand over mine.

I have lived a pretty amazing life… right? I mean, how many girls do you know have gone back and forth from modern times to the Feudal Era on a regular basis? I lived out a feudal fairy tale. I helped defeat Naraku -- FINALLY! I thought he would never die -- I helped to keep the future safe. I even fell in love.

And in the end, it took me a while, but I finally got to say what had always been in my heart.

When the kiss ends, we finally say it.

"I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too," he whispers back.

**THE END**

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I know that the title is not the most original in the world, but after reading this over, it's the best I could come up with. I'm not sure if I can classify this as out of character or not, you can tell me. I hope you liked it, and please leave a review! 


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